What They're Saying: Media Day Quotes
Thursday, October 6, 2016 | Men's Basketball
See what the Gators had to say on the team's media day.
Sophomore Guard KeVaughn Allen
On what he gained from his first year:
"What I've gained from last year to now is the pace of the game and how important it is to take care of your body. To also drink plenty of water and get plenty of rest."
On the first SEC game at Arkansas:
"I will have a lot of family and friends there supporting me but I will treat it like any other game. Gotta just come out there and be ready."
On becoming a leader on the team:
"I feel like I can lead more by example while others can lead by being vocal."
On the best aspect of his game this season:
"Probably me getting in shape and conditioning. I'm doing a better job of reading the pick and roll."
Graduate Student Guard Canyon Barry
On his first few months on campus:
"It's been a quick adjustment from Charleston. I pretty much just drove up and started summer school right away. I started workouts and weights, getting a feel of the team, and getting to meet the coaches and know them better."
On his impressions of UF so far:
"It's all going really well. I'm really impressed with the facilities and the coaches and I really like the guys so it's been a good couple of months."
On the adjustment of being with a new team:
"It's an interesting situation coming in as a fifth-year. We had a couple of them at Charleston but when you spend so much time with all the guys you just click in, find your rhythm and learn to appreciate each other's differences"
On his impressions of this team:
"I really like this team. I think we have great chemistry, we get along well on and off the court and I'm really excited to see what we can do this year."
On choosing Florida over multiple other schools:
"I think Florida was the best fit for me both academically and athletically. I played with Coach Mincy for a year at Charleston so that connection helped in recruiting and then I got to meet Coach White and I think he's a great coach and I love his style of play."
Freshman Forward Dontay Bassett
On how it has gone so far:
"So far it has been very tough. But I've enjoyed my experience here in a new system, new offense and also a new weight lifting program. But it is new to me because I didn't really lift weights in high school so coming here my body has starting to transform on and off the field."
On what the toughest part has been:
"The toughest part is waking up and having class in the morning, weights in the afternoon and then practice right. I have to do the same thing plus staying on top of the schoolwork it's pretty hard. "
On how he sees his role this year:
"To be honest my role is anything the coach needs me to do I will do to stay on the court. This year you know I am a freshmen year so I am trying to do anything for me to stay on the court."
Junior Guard Chris Chiozza
On what he's been working on:
"Personally, I have been working on consistently making my jump shot and being more of a vocal leader. Those have been the two things I've focused on most this summer. The third would be just getting stronger."
On steps he has taken to be a better leader:
"I'm learning how everybody reacts to criticism and I'm trying to be positive. I'm trying to make it to where they don't take it personally and we see it as more of encouragement, but still point out what could have been done better."
On how the feel is different this year compared to last year:
"I think we have a big chip on our shoulder, a bigger chip than we had last year. We knew last year we were supposed to do better than we did and we feel like we're one of the best teams this year. The way we ended last year, I think a lot of people just counted us out but I just think that we will do well."
Junior (R) Center John Egbunu
On how he'll try to cut down on fouls this season:
"Making sure I'm in the right position. Being out of position is why I picked up most of my fouls, so just making sure I'm in the right position. I feel like that will really help."
On how the frontcourt depth can produce success:
"Just doing our jobs, pushing each other on a daily basis and doing whatever Coach asks of us."
On what Canyon Barry brings to the team:
"He brings a lot of shooting. He's a really good shooter from the 3-point line. He's an aggressive player. He can drive the ball to the rim. He brings a lot to this team, and we're really happy to have him."
On team chemistry:
"It brings a lot of challenges on the court and off the court, especially with our academics and things like that. We'll have to stay on top of that. It's nothing we're not capable of doing. As a team, we understand what's at stake. We know we've got to make good use of our time."
Freshman Forward/Center Gorjok Gak
On the transition to a higher level of competition:
"It's definitely a lot more physical but other than that I feel like I'm coping pretty well."
On what he liked about Coach White that made him decide to come to Florida:
"Just the way he recruited me and the amount of time he recruited me for. He recruited me for about a year and he just told me that they lost two players last year and it would be great for me to come in and possibly play"
On the toughest thing he's facing right now:
"Just putting on some more weight, I think."
On how he's trying to gain weight:
"I'm trying to eat like 5 meals a day, have my shakes and lift."
On his personal expectations for the season:
"I just want to get stronger and prove my shot."
Sophomore Forward/Center Kevarrius Hayes
On his experience at SEC SAAC meetings this summer:
"It's an honor that they would actually nominate me to be one of the representatives to go there and represent the University of Florida athletes even though I'm only a sophomore. … Mostly, we talked about time, schedule, what would be considered adequate practice hours for a team in a day or a week."
On how being in the second season under Coach White can help:
"It's always good to be on the same page. Now if the whole team, the coaches and the staff are, we can make something great happen."
Freshman Guard Eric Hester
On what he is working to improve:
"I've got to sharpen up by ball-handling more and also get in the weight room and get stronger, trying to get faster so I'll be able to play at this level. You've got to be able to run. It's definitely different than high school, so I've got to get my wind."
On the biggest difference from high school:
"Everything. The players. Everyone is now the best from their high school, so now everyone's D-I. Everyone's good, so I've got to be able to compete."
On the relationship between the older and younger players:
"It's good. The older guys have been doing really good showing us younger guys the ropes and everything. I feel like already these guys are my brothers and we're all one big, happy family."
Senior Guard Kasey Hill
On being the last link from the 2014 Final Four team and the journey since then:
"It was really good and then it was really bad, but then it ended well. I'm looking forward to getting out there and competing and trying to win as many games as I can for my teammates."
On his dedication and elevated effort during the offseason:
"Throughout the season, I just stayed in the gym as much as I could, through the good and the bad. Then in the summer it was a great opportunity for me to get in the gym even more because I had a lot more time so I just worked on the things that I needed to work on."
On whether or not he's getting tired of being asked about his shooting:
"No, I'm not getting tired of it at all. It's something I've dealt with my whole life, people have labeled me as 'not a shooter' but I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses and I just have to deal with it."
Junior Guard Jalen Hudson
On transferring:
"When I was transferring, I was just looking for a place I could feel at home and I could feel comfortable. The coaches were really welcoming and I feel like it's a good program for me as far as basketball and fitting in and their style, so it was a pretty easy choice for me."
On SEC play compared to ACC:
"I think it will be pretty similar. They obviously say the ACC is a lot better and I haven't played in the SEC yet so I'm excited to see. I think they'll be very similar and it's still very tough basketball and I think it will be a good experience."
On which guys helped him get accustomed to UF:
"Well first I would say the coaches, Coach Mincy and Coach White and also Coach Nichols. As far as some of the guys, Kasey Hill, John Egbunu, Devin Robinson, and Chris Chiozza as well. They have all kind of helped me adjust and they're veteran guys that have been here a little longer than most of the other guys so they've definitely helped me and bumped me right along."
Senior Forward Justin Leon
On the transition to Division I basketball:
"Challenging. Division I basketball is way faster than high school. I think in high school they don't have a shot clock. In Division I we do. And with all the decisions, everybody's talent is on the same scale so it makes the game a lot faster so kind of got to adjust."
On how he can help the freshmen transition:
"Just being a leader. Talking to them, giving them tips and pointers and how to handle certain situations."
On some tips he's gotten that he will pass down:
"If you make a mistake, just don't worry about it. You're new so you got to learn some and that is how you learn by making mistakes. And don't get down on yourself if you mess up. Everybody had been through that stage so there is no reason to get down over it. "
Junior Forward Devin Robinson
On how the team looks now compared to last year:
"Way different from last year. We are more dynamic, way younger guys, we just help each other, we all lead each other. We got guys ready to learn, ready to work and I think it is going to be a great season."
On the second season under Coach White:
"It's great. Last year we were just trying to get used to him. This year now we know what to expect from him, what to expect from some of the guys that have been here last year so we are getting on the same page. We started off a little bit last year at the end of the year and we just keep picking it up from last year, just trying to keep going forward with that. "
On Coach White's message to the team toward the end of last season:
"Biggest thing he was telling us was to play free, have fun with the game and go out there and compete. Play every game like it is your last game…just trying to play as well as we can. Have fun with the game. "
Freshman (R) Forward Keith Stone
On where his weight is now compared to last year:
"Right now I'm weighing 235 pounds with 10 percent body fat so I lost a lot of weight and put it back in muscle, so I can run longer and make sure my stamina is good."
On what he's been working on the most this year:
"I've just been working what Coach tells me to do in practice, so just playing hard at all times and constantly doing my job."
On how the last year off helped him:
"It helped me mentally because it got me prepared for what I am going to go through in a game. Constantly going through adversity, even though it may be hard you have to keep pushing."
On the team having to replace Dorian Finney-Smith:
"I learned a lot of tips from Dorian so I'm just trying to do what Coach tells me to do and learn from what Dorian taught me"
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballFlorida Men's Basketball | Thomas Haugh Is Back
Thursday, April 23
Florida Men's Basketball | Head Coach Todd Golden Media Availability | April 22, 2026
Wednesday, April 22
Todd Golden Media Availability | April 22, 2026
Wednesday, April 22
NCAA Tournament: Postgame Press Conference | Iowa
Sunday, March 22
